Years ago I was in Ventura while there was a vendor event going on at the Great Pacific Ironworks / Patagucchi store. Mr. Chouinard himself was back in the Skunk Works making pitons by hand at the forge. Most of the crowd didn't seem too impressed.... like "Huh, some guy messing around in the shop." I felt like I was in the presence of a minor deity. He was all laid back, talking about surfing, complaining how it was impossible to buy coal legally in Kalifornia, 'cause of the carcinogenic smoke, heating up this chunk of steel, hammering it out, driving the hole with mandrel, big'ol forearms bulging. When he'd finished, he stamped it with a diamond C and gave the piton, a classic lost arrow, to someone in the crowd. Not me dammit.
Anyway, that's my contribution to this important thread.